1. Vision of Escaflowne. (series and movie) [action, fantasy, mecha, romance]It's a good story with some interesting characters, while watching both the series and the movie shows the same story under different circumstances.

2. Neon Genesis Evangelion. [action, mecha, religion, violence]Because I love Gainax. A story with so many twists it makes most of the characters' heads (&c.) explode. Also, there's a penguin.

3. FLCL. [chaos, comedy, mecha]Because I hate people. This is likely the only series ever that is about a skin disease that causes giant robots to pop out of your head. Really, it's a weird trip, but I think FLCL is kind of the anime to make or break an otaku. Kinda like the 40 year old(+) male Sailor Senshi at a con. Only with more um and less ah.

4. Berserk. [action, religion, romance, violence+++]I've spent twenty minutes trying to find a way to put this one into a short explanation. It seems like a hack 'n slash title at first, but really explores what it is to be human. Warning: Not, repeat, NOT for children. It is violent in more ways than one.

5. Azumanga Daioh. [comedy, high school, non-sequential]A cute series about what high school is. It's funny, over the top, and--for those of us out of school--a bit nostalgic.

This is a post. You may think it is more than a post, but actually, it is just a post.Dana Bills; Baku cog of eclectic (read hectic) position.

here are my five (not counting the ones that people did that i would have done.

Hikaru No Go [Shonen, Drama, Go]Death Note's artist + amazing story = win. Its very forumlaic but still enjoyable.

Kimi Ga Nozumu Eien (English Rumbuling Hearts) [Shojo, drama, angst]One of the best anime's i've ever seen. its about 4 high school friends...

Gungrave [Shonen, Mafia, Godfather]Based on the PS2 video game of the same name. Follows two childhood friends rise and fall into the mafia. Plus there are zombies

Black Lagoon [Shonen, Pirates, Guns]A south seas business man is captured by modern day pirates. Shory episode arcs involoving all kinds of explosions and stuff. Watch the dub its AMAZING!

Lovely Complex [Shojo, Osaka, Awsome]One of the last animes I watched and just hooked me. Its akin to Kare-Kano in my mind, but more on the humor side then the serious. Still enjoyable. Also Bear curry.

Fushigi Yugi-Same reason as My HiME with one extra added ITS BY YUU WATASE!!!!! She is great.

Peacemaker-Action, blood, with a rather touching story underneath it.

Code Geass-Action, drama, comedy, mecha, fantasy, this has it all plus the character design is by CLAMP so its really pretty too!

Hare and Guu-This anime is so twisted your mind will never be the same again...yet its impossible to resist!! Guaranteed to laugh your ass off while thinking why in the world am I still watching this??

Edit: I would recommend watching all of these in Japanese. The dub isn't bad on Fushigi Yugi but the others are simply useless.....

I'd explain why each one should be watched individually, but it tends to boil out the same... Sorcerer Hunters and Rune Soldier have some of the same design team, and the same style of comedy shines through- fantasy and sexual innuendo. Outlaw Star gives us an epic growing up story (again with some innuendo-based humor), While Ronin Warriors and Macross just give us terrific, beautifully done plotlines. Ronin being a true animated sentai show just helps it kick more ass, and macross, well, it's truly a classic, nomatter which version you watch - the original, Robotech, Macross 7, Frontier, Zero, or Plus.

I'd say 'watch them sub', but I don't like to discriminate... All of them have some terrific voice work (excluding macross' Robotech dub, which was only half awesome), and if you choose to avoid the english you'll miss some fantastic jokes. The same holds true, obviously, for the japanese tracks.

Magic Knight Rayearth - Probably my favorite series of all time, and an absolute classic. Sword & Sorcery fantasy + girls transported to alternate world. This is the series that started me on my CLAMP obsession. Watch in Japanese, the dub makes my ears bleed.

El-Hazard: The Magnificent World - The original OVA for this franchise is still the best member of it. Another "transported to alternate world" series, with one of the most memorable villains out there. Watch in either, it's an early Pioneer dub, before all the dubbing studios started focusing exclusively on lip flap.

Crest of the Stars/Banner of the Stars/BotS II/BotS III - Space opera on a grand scale. In the foreground, a romance between the Imperial Princess (essentially third in line for the throne) and a newly elevated member of the nobility. In the background, the most widespread interstellar war in mankind's history. Some of the best character development in a series I've ever seen. I wish more of the novels had gotten translated. Watch in Japanese, the dub is among the most uninspired plodding things I've encountered.

Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman - A hysterical send-up of sentai shows. You have to see this parody to believe it. Watch in English, the jokes are even funnier.

Tenshi na Konamaiki (AKA Cheeky Angel) - A gender-bending comedy. As a 10-year-old boy, the main character encounters a genie and wishes to become the manliest of men. So the genie turns him into a girl and says it'll last ten years. Six years later, she's entering high school, and wacky hijinks ensue. Unlicensed, unfortunately, so Japanese-only, though the manga's available in the US.

You know, this is kind of hard to come up with, without repeating, but I'll give it a shot

1) Utawaerumono- It's probably the most visually appealing anime I've ever seen, and I also think it has one of the best stories too.

2) Princess Mononoke- I know that it is often reffered to as most people's least favorite Miyazaki movie, but honestly, I think it had the best message to deliver, and I think it was a nice break from most of the other ones

3) Rurouni Kenshin- Ignoring the fact of some of the historical liberities it takes (it has, it wouldn't be a great show otherwise) a very fun show, although it's probably best to start with Samurai X:Trust and Betryal before you dive into the show itself

4) Full Metal Alchemist- The show that probably have everything anyone could ever ask for in an anime, from the story, to the artwork, to the music, I really do think this show covers it all.

and last but certainly not least

5) Cowboy Bebop- Because clearly you can not have an anime to watch list with out at least one of the gold standards of anime.

It doesn't emphasize anything much, so it doesn't stand out in most arenas, but it's everyone's second choice, so to speak. Like Abe Lincoln, everyone picks something as a favorite, then brings Bebop as that threshold of quality.

It's also both tame enough for mortals and strong enough for otaku. And that of itself is a selling point.

This is a post. You may think it is more than a post, but actually, it is just a post.Dana Bills; Baku cog of eclectic (read hectic) position.